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Team Aguilar agent Howard Blum just listed this stunning La Costa home for sale. A home perfect for entertaining, relax and enjoy the luxurious lifestyle/comfort in this gated Balearas home at 6837 Citrine Dr, Carlsbad, CA 92009. Feel the ideal, breezy elevation from the backyard and enjoy the views of the La Costa Golf Course and western sunsets. New Solar setup makes this an extremely cost effective proposition! Two sound systems, one in master suite and 1 downstairs to control the ambiance. The Home also comes complete with a jacuzzi! Call Howard at 858-354-4551 with any questions or to schedule a showing!

This is commonly regarded as the narrowest building in Paris, if not all of Europe. This little architectural anomaly can be found at 22 rue Saint-Séverin, a buzzing touristy street in Paris’ Latin Quarter. Not much info on this property, other than it was a hotel in the 17th century and French author Abbé Prévost (1697 – 1763) lived here at some point.

Here’s a new 2 bed 2 bath unit that’s just come on the market. The unit is part of The Lido, an upscale apartment complex in the heart of Mission Valley. This particular unit, as with most units at The Lido, is divided into two floors. Entrance is through the first floor, and a short staircase leads to the second floor.

The first floor contains the second bedroom and bath as well as a spacious open-plan living/dining/kitchen area. The well appointed kitchen comes with all the appliances and features granite counter-tops. The first floor of this unit also has a large patio – perfect for entertaining guests, summer barbecues, etc. Good sized second bedroom on the first floor with closet space and adjoining bathroom. The second bath has doors connecting it to both the bedroom and the main living area for quick access.

A quick walk up the stairs brings us to the second floor, which contains the master bedroom, master bath and laundry room. Master bath has separate areas for bath, shower and toilet and features his-and-hers sinks. The very large two-door walk-in closet located in the little hallway between the bathroom and master bedroom ensures that you will never be at a loss for storage space.

Even though the unit is listed as two bedrooms, the master bedroom in the upper level is actually split into two adjoining rooms. One can be the actual bedroom while the other can be turned into anything from additional sitting area to a study, gym or home office. A small balcony lies off one of the adjoining rooms that make up the master bedroom.

Overall this unit is in great condition and features some really nice laminate flooring – although some of the carpeting may need to be replaced or at least go through a deep clean. Amenities at The Lido include 2 pools, clubhouse, spa, fitness-center, fire pit and communal barbecue area. There’s even a secluded walking trail and dog-park attached to the complex.

Here we have yet another downtown condo, this time at the Icon in the East Village area. We will be looking at a beautifully appointed 1,077 square feet 2 bedroom 2 bath unit listed at $725,000. This 26th floor unit with incredible panoramic views of downtown San Diego, Petco Park, San Diego Bay, the Coronado bridge and more. On a clear day you can see all the way into Mexico!

The guest bedroom is located near the main entrance. It has its own closet space and some great views. Right outside the second bedroom is a full bath and a full-size stackable washer-dryer unit. Decent sized master bedroom with attached master bath featuring his and hers sinks and walk-in closet. Master bedroom overlooks the balcony/patio area.

Combined living room area and kitchen with large prominent windows that offer amazing views of the city. Kitchen comes fully equipped with top of the range appliances. Good quality finish in the kitchen fixtures with granite counter-tops. Small patio/balcony area connected to living room.

A condo similar to this would easily run anywhere from $900,000 to $1million just a few years ago. At the current price this is a bargain for anyone looking at high-end downtown living. You can find similar properties at the downtown San Diego condo listings at Team Aguilar Real Estate.

Today we look at a studio unit located on the 2nd floor of a Cortez Hill loft. At just over 600 square feet, this unit is perfect for young working professionals who want to be close to the downtown core. Building amenities include a pool, Jacuzzi, fire-pit, barbecue area and small gym. Such extras are a rarity for small-scale condominiums in downtown San Diego.

The front door opens to a narrow hallway leading into the main living space. This hallway is home to the full bath, closet space and recessed nook containing the stackable washer-dryer unit.

The living area incorporates a compact yet fully featured kitchen with all the appliances (fridge, stove and microwave). The space for the bed sits on an elevated ledge and is somewhat separated from the living/kitchen area.

The living-space features large double-glazed windows with great natural lighting. The double glazing also helps eliminate most of the noise from the nearby freeway

Priced to move at $259,900, this unit will probably be snapped up by the time you watch this video, but there are always new downtown condos coming up for sale. Be sure to check the downtown San Diego condo listings at Team Aguilar to find something in your price range.

Rehabbed 1,500 square-foot 3 bedroom 2 bath home in a quiet Point Loma neighborhood. Former foreclosure that has been rehabbed and put on the market. Buyer totally gutted the property, fixed it up and expanded it.

This newly renovated property features spacious interiors. Living room now has additional space (the original property was expanded from 844 sq. feet to 1,500 sq. feet.) Fully remodeled kitchen with all new appliances – gas-range stove, microwave and refrigerator. Original fireplace is retained with some cosmetic enhancements.

Separate laundry room. Two sink bathroom and two walk in closets leading to master bedroom. Master bedroom has direct access to backyard. Second bath with two bedrooms on either side.

Good sized yard that has been fullyre-sodded and landscaped. Large two car garage with its own driveway. Additional parking possible on driveway.

We did a video walkthrough of this home before it was remodded back in October 2012. Click the link for the video, it’s a real eye opener: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3BsuCvGVGw

Looking for a San Diego foreclosure or short-sale to flip? Interested in investment properties like the one profiled above? Don’t be left out – contact Alex or Carlos at Team Aguilar today!

Here we have a 1,225 square-foot, 3 bedroom 2 bathroom single family home in Lemon Grove. Attached to the house is a two door garage that lacks direct access from the main living area. The spacious front yard provides more than enough room for additional parking.

Front door opens into a combined living/dining room area with connected kitchen. Laundry hook-ups are available in the kitchen. Highlights include retro green kitchen countertops (possibly original) and a fireplace in the living room. Built in closet space is available in each bedroom and window fittings appear to have recently been refurbished.

The property has a large backyard with covered porch area and a huge tree that dominates most of the yard.

This bank owned property is listed at $205,000. Built in 1958, the property as it stands today requires a lot of work. Problems include peeling stucco, rising damp, and fences that need replacing. Major interior and exterior renovations needed – this is definitely a fixer upper. That being said, the low price (for San Diego) has generated a great deal of interest among buyers. This won’t stay on the market for long!

For more information on this or any other San Diego real-estate bargains please contact Alex with Team Aguilar at San Diego Real Estate.

A growing number of real estate deals have been falling apart across California – agents and sellers put the blame solely at the feet of government backed mortgage giant Fannie Mae. The tax payer supported company has been accused of over-pricing homes across the state, killing many short-sale deals and forcing the sellers to enter foreclosure.

Why would the biggest mortgage lender in the nation be purposely scuppering deals in a time when it should be encouraging market recovery? The answer is complicated.

While Fannie Mae has a vested interest in helping homeowners avoid foreclosure through short-sales and other means, it also has the competing goal of making sure that the American taxpayer who is funding Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (whether they like it or not) is getting a good deal out of every real estate deal brokered by the mortgage giant.

As a result Fannie Mae regularly overprices short sale properties 20 to 40 percent higher than what they would normally go. Officials at Fannie Mae say they are justified in overpricing short sale properties to such an extent while the California Association of Realtors strongly disagrees. Representatives from the CAR argue setting the price so high drives away buyers, kills chances of a successful short sale and forces the homeowners into foreclosure.

Fannie Mae’s spokesperson, on the other hand, says that their valuations are justified and are based on several factors that include past sales of similar properties, appraisals and the opinions of their in-house real estate brokers.

California realtors, unfortunately, can do little except complain. Amid all the accusations of rampant value inflation by the mortgage giant, a delegation from the California Association of Realtors recently flew to Washington D.C. to try and straighten things out with the top Fannie Mae officials. What this will actually accomplish in California’s real estate market remains to be seen, however.

Besides killing potential short-sales, the overpricing of properties by Fannie Mae has another more insidious effect on California’s housing market. Many agents argue that Fannie Mae’s rampant overpricing has the additional consequence of artificially inflating home prices across the board. This in turn drives traditional buyers away since they have to seek additional financing to meet Fannie’s higher prices. Cash buyers, on the other hand, are often backed by companies with ready capital, so don’t face this problem. This goes a long way in explaining why cash is king in
Southern California’s real estate market, accounting for 34.9 percent of all homes sold in January.

Certain areas such as the San Diego real estate market are particularly hot right now. A combination of a lack of inventory of entry-level homes and declining San Diego foreclosure numbers means that more buyers are forced enter the regular property market, foregoing the distressed housing market. As more buyers compete for regular properties the offers start to increase in value, raising prices. Mortgage giants like Fannie Mae are fully aware of this trend and are only too happy to take advantage of it.

Today we’re looking at a 1,294 square-foot, 3 bedroom 1 bath single family home in Logan Heights. The property is in a great location, just east of the 5 Freeway and within walking distance of Logan Elementary School and Memorial Park. It has a decent front yard with enough parking space for 3 regular sized cars.

The front door opens to a spacious living room area, and adjacent to the living room is a large dining room. There is no partition between the living and dining rooms, so they can both be combined into an extra-large living area if required. Both living and dining rooms have great natural lighting.

Adjacent to the dining area is a good-sized open plan kitchen fitted with new appliances including a gas-range oven. Behind the kitchen is the washer/dryer nook, with enough space for a full sized washer and dryer. The home’s single bathroom is connected to the wash/dryer area. It is a full bath with bathtub, shower, toilet and sink.

The first bedroom is near the front entrance in the living room, the second is connected to the dining area, and the third next to the washer dryer area – great for growing families! The property has a large backyard with access to the alley. Although the backyard needs some landscaping work done, it is big enough to allow for the construction of a granny flat – ideal to rent out as a small studio.

The biggest selling point of the property is its price. It is listed at $245,000 – an amazing bargain when you consider that it is nearly impossible to find a single family home anywhere in San Diego County for less than $250,000.

Here is another luxury condo for sale at The Mark in the heart of downtown San Diego. Located on the 20th floor, this is a 1 bedroom 1 bath unit, 905 sq ft listed at $496,000 at the time of making the video (price has gone down since then, see link below for current price). The unit has stylish wood flooring, central air and floor to ceiling windows with incredible views of downtown San Diego.

The unit has an open layout living-room/kitchen design. The kitchen is fully upgraded with a gas range oven and granite counter-tops. The floor to ceiling windows gives the illusion of space, making the 905 square foot unit see much larger than it actually is. Next to the front door get a stackable washer-dryer nook as well as a closet for additional storage space. A decent sized balcony is connected to the living room. Balcony is about 7ft by 9ft, offers great panoramic views of Coronado Bridge and Petco Park.

The single bedroom has a large master bath with tub/shower combo and his and hers sinks. The bedroom’s walk-in closet needs slight repairs – unfortunate, but expected when dealing with bank-owned property. The master bedroom also has floor to ceiling windows.

The Mark is centrally located between East Village and Gaslamp Quarter, and is within walking distance of Petco Park. Additional amenities include pool, spa, gym, business center, 24 hour security, private dog park, Jacuzzi and more.

You can get photos and additional details about this high rise San Diego Downtown Condo unit at http://www.teamaguilar.com/home-details-120053565.html

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